Mom Court-Ordered to Vaccinate Daughter

An 8-year-old Australian girl has been receiving vaccinations, in secret, against the wishes of her mother. And now a court has said she can continue to be vaccinated per the wishes of her father, who is divorced from her mother.

The single mom, whose name has not been disclosed, decided to attempt to protect her daughter against common infectious diseases with homeopathic remedies rather than vaccination. The little girl’s father, who has partial custody, then went behind the mother’s back and secretly had the child vaccinated against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, polio, HIB, measles, mumps, rubella and meningococcal C., according to News.com.au. He was particularly worried about his new wife, who is pregnant, being exposed to serious illness.

The mother, who had been raising her daughter on an organic diet, objected, but was overruled by an Australian family court after pediatricians from the Royal Children's Hospital testified that there’s no evidence that homeopathic alternatives to vaccines are effective.

The dad didn’t get off scott-free. Presiding judge Victoria Bennet chastised him for going behind the mother’s back. Nevertheless, the court upheld his choice and the child will continue to be vaccinated in the future.